Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-10-13
Glasgow. had come around to Glas-

ing no chance to get a ship. and being
willing to take up with any thing to
earn my way until times got better.
The Two Sisters was bound for Rio
Jeneiro and the day got into Glas-
gov was her day for sailing. Oddly
enough, common seamen got fall
| which disabled him, and was showed
into his place, and the ship was off
almost before 1 could turn my head.
and certainly before I was prepared
for such long voyage. had been to
sea for several years previous to this
! shipment and had rated as sable
more than once. but in this case was
rated as ''ordin ary," and the pay was
to be for such. I was then about
twenty-three years old, a thorough
Yankee by birth and feelings, and as
had neither parents nor home l did not
care in which direction sailed.
Now, to help you comprehend what
finally happened, want to say that
no sailing ship ever left port with
every thing entirely satisfactory to
| Sailor Jack. He is a chronic grum-
bier. just as the farmer is, but he
means no more by his grumbling. He
| will kick on the food. on the weather,
on the cargo, on his quarters. ON al
| most every thing connected with the
| ship and her voyage; but it is simply
fashion, and he doesn't expect any
body to take him in earnest. And I
| say further that there is no English,
| Scotch, German or American sailing
ship afloat to-day in which the captain
| cares two cents for the life of fore
| mast hand The mates are born bull
| lies, ready to knock a man down on
| the slightest provocatien. and they
will make the provocation themselves.
Jack may be cut and bruised, and ill,
but it is only when he falls helpless
| that he is permitted to leave his watch.
He is not supposed to have any more
feelings than an OK, and it would seem
as if the aim of most officers was to
make him forget his manhood. The
ditch diggers in any country live bet
ter than the average sailors. Jacks
hours are longer than any working
mans. his pay less. and there isn't
day from the time the voyage is begun
until it ends that his life is not in
peril And. to cap the climax. he is
a man to put up with every thing.
He expects poor grub. plenty of
abuse, great deal of dirty weather,
and close shave for his life about
once in so often. He will stand more
bulldozing than black slave, and
more abuse than an OK. Mutiny at sea
is a rare occurrence. The American
marine does not average one in five
years. This isn't because the provoca-
ton is lacking, for that exists on
almost every ship every day, but be-
cause Jack is willing to bear to the
last moment before he turns. In my
time have known sailors to cut their
throats, hang themselves, or leap
overheard to end their wretched lives
made wretched and unbearab1e by a
bullying mate. A soldier would have
shot down his officer in such cases. A
slave would have run away.
We were not out of sight of the
coast before it was found that both
mates were DULLES, the captain
tyrant, and our grub the poorest which
could be purchased for ship. The
crew were far above the average in
point of looks and seamanship. AS
we were mustered to be divided into
watches was surprised to note the
bearing of the men. 1t was just such
crew as captain could feel confidence
in during a long and perilous voyage.
If there was a shirk among the lot, his
looks did not betray him. When we
were divided off 1 fell to the captain
watch, which is in reality the
second mates watch. and l
found two more Americans with
me-Johnson and Green. They
were able seamen of middle age, and
there was but one younger man than
in either wa tch. In the first six hours
of our being af1o at I saw four men
knocked down by the mates without
provocation enough to have called out
rebuke from some officers. while the
captain, who was evidently hard
drinker, exhibited his temper in vari-
Gus ways. 1t is usual for the captain
of a ship to make a little speech to the
men when the watches are divided.
It is done not to encourage, but to in
>tinidate. It is to further show Jack
that he has no moral or legal rights
whatever, and that if he isn't Drained
next day with a Delaying pin, it is be-
cause his officers are willing to over
look and condone his heinous offenses.
When our watches were called Captain
Mckay stepped forward and said:
Il have been looking You over. you
dirty scum of the docks. and find
there isn't sailor among you. /
wouldn't have shipped such gang of
sojers for mud scow. You have come
aboard under false pretenses, calcu-
lating to feast on pie and cake and
have trip for your health. Look out
for me, you cursed riff-raff. I'll make
some of you wish you had never been
born before this voyage is over"
That was his speech as one of the
sailors wrote it down, and that was
the cue the mates were to take. When
the off watch went below the men re-
marked to each other that it looked as
if we had signed articles with a bad
man. but there was no criticism.
When supper was served we found the
beef outrageous. The smell of it was
sufficient to turn a sailors stomach.
and you can imagine that it must have
been pretty high. The tea could
never have seen the inside of chest
/ doubt if it was any thing more than
the leaves of trees and shrubs. The
shin hiscuit had hettar been called